When using portable locks, cable locks and other types of portable locks, it is sometimes necessary to break or cut the shackle in order to remove the lock. A very common example of this scenario occurs frequently when a portable lock is used as a Lock Out Tag Out device as required by OSHA regulation 1910.147 to prevent inadvertent or deliberate release of energy from a system undergoing maintenance or inspection. Specifically, OSHA regulation 1910.147 states that there be a “one employee, one key and one lock relationship’. If a project or repair is completed, an employee who placed a personal Lock Out Tag Out portable lock to protect personnel performing this project must be present to remove the portable lock when it is no longer required. If the owner of the lock and its unique key is not present, the lock must be cut off in order to restore the repaired system to an operable state. The damaged lock is then either sent back to the manufacturer for repair, or scrapped.
The proper selection of a portable lock depends upon matching several characteristics, such as shackle specifications including but not limited to shackle material, rigid shackle versus flexible cable shackle, shackle clearance and shackle diameter. If a purchaser desired to purchase a portable lock for multiple purposes that have different shackle requirements, they must purchase a separate lock for each specification. If high reliability and availability of a particular lock shackle type is required, it would be necessary to purchase a backup lock's of any required configuration.
The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.